BIOL 4640 · 3 credits · Donald Rowen · ALLWINE 305 · Mon/Wed/Fri 11–11:50

Molecular Microbiology — Fall 2026

Diversity of genomes, molecules, structures, metabolism, and regulation in microorganisms, with emphasis on Bacteria + Archaea. Rowen's pathogenesis lens (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Type III secretion) will color many examples — pre-read each chapter to keep up with his fast slide pace.

Quick start

Study Guide

14-unit Brock-aligned walkthrough.

Flashcards

~150 vocab + concept cards.

Mastery

Spaced-repetition drill.

Practice Exam

40 MC with explanations.

Cheat Sheet

Printable 1-page reference.

Books

Brock 16e + OpenStax + chapter maps.

Rowen's pace warning

Reviews note Rowen runs 40-50 slides per 50-min lecture. Pre-read each chapter + use Mastery daily so vocab is locked in before lecture. Lecture time is for synthesis, not memorization.

Semester roadmap (Aug 24 → Dec 18)

Wk	Unit	Topics
1	U1 — Microorganisms & microbiology	History (Pasteur, Koch), domains, microscopy, scope.
2	U2 — Microbial cell structure	Bacteria vs Archaea cell envelope, Gram±, capsules, flagella.
3	U3 — Microbial growth	Generation time, growth phases, environmental control (T, pH, O₂, aw).
4	U4 — Metabolism: energetics	Chemoorganotrophy, fermentation, respiration, ETC.
5	U5 — Metabolism: alternative	Lithotrophs, phototrophs, anaerobic respiration, methanogens.
6	U6 — Genomes	Genome organization, plasmids, mobile elements, replication.
7	U7 — Gene transfer	Transformation, transduction, conjugation, recombination, CRISPR.
8	U8 — Regulation of expression	Operons (lac, trp), σ factors, two-component, riboswitches, sRNAs.
9	U9 — Viruses	Lytic/lysogenic, retroviruses, phage biology, antivirals.
10	U10 — Bacterial diversity	Phyla overview: Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, etc.
11	U11 — Archaea	Crenarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, extremophiles, methanogens.
12	U12 — Microbial ecology	Communities, biogeochemical cycles, microbiome.
13	U13 — Pathogenesis (Rowen focus)	Virulence, secretion systems, biofilms, P. aeruginosa.
14	U14 — Antimicrobials & resistance	Antibiotic targets, MIC, MDR mechanisms, AMR crisis.
15	U15 — Applied + clinical	Industrial fermentation, vaccines, lab diagnosis.

References & free textbooks